cities._

_The only thing on this forsaken planet that isn't actually against
us are the animals. A few large predators at first, but the guards
made short work of them. The rest of the wild life leaves us alone.
Glad of that! They have been fighting for existence so long that I
have never seen a more deadly looking collection. Even the little
rodents no bigger than a man's hand are armored like tanks ..._

"I don't believe a word of it," Meta broke in. "That can't be Pyrrus
he's writing about ..." Her words died away as Jason wordlessly pointed
to the title on the cover.

He continued scanning the pages, flipping them quickly. A sentence
caught his eye and he stopped. Jamming his finger against the place, he
read aloud.

"'... And troubles keep piling up. First Har Palo with his theory that
the vulcanism is so close to the surface that the ground keeps warm and
the crops grow so well. Even if he is right--what can we do? We must be
self-dependent if we intend to survive. And now this other thing. It
seems that the forest fire drove a lot of new species our way. Animals,
insects and even birds have attacked the people. (Note for Har: check if
possible seasonal migration might explain attacks.) There have been
fourteen deaths from wounds and poisoning. We'll have to enforce the
rules for insect lotion at all times. And I suppose build some kind of
perimeter defense to keep the larger beasts out of the camp.'

"This is a beginning," Jason said. "At least now we are aware of the
real nature of the battle we're engaged in. It doesn't make Pyrrus any
easier to handle, or make the life forms less dangerous, to know that
they were once better disposed towards mankind. All this does is point
the way. Something took the peaceful life forms, shook them up, and
turned this planet into one big deathtrap for mankind. That _something_
is what I want to uncover."

XII.

Further reading of the log produced no new evidence. There was a good
deal more information about the early animal and plant life and how
deadly they were, as well as the first defenses against them.
Interesting historically, but of no use whatsoever in countering the
menace. The captain apparently never thought that life forms were
altering on Pyrrus, believing instead that dangerous beasts were being
discovered. He never lived to change his mind. The last entry in the
log, less than two months after the first attack, was very b